Method for Surface Treatment of a Sample Having at Least One Surface of a Metal Oxide and Metal Oxide with Treated Surface

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The invention describes a method to treat the surface of chemically reducible metal oxides, such as transparent conductive oxides (TCOs), to improve the adhesion of subsequently deposited metal films. The method involves immersing a metal oxide-coated sample in a tailored electrolyte solution, reducing the surface using a reducing agent, and cleaning the surface. The treated surface achieves enhanced adhesion for metal layers, which cannot be removed by standard adhesive tape or cleaning methods. This makes the process particularly suitable for large-scale and industrial applications, especially where strong metal-to-oxide adhesion is critical.

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• Manufacture of solar cells where robust metal contacts on TCOs are required.
• Production of optoelectronic devices such as LED panels or touch screens that utilize metal oxide layers.
• Fabrication of photoelectrochemical cells, including systems for solar-driven hydrogen production, requiring strong, stable electrode contacts.
• Electroplating applications where thin, uniform, and adherent metal films on metal oxides are needed.
• Making advanced sensors or transparent electronic devices relying on durable interfacing with metal oxides.
• Any process involving patterning or masking of metal layers on oxide substrates.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Significantly increases the adhesion strength of metal films on metal oxide surfaces, passing industry-standard tests like the Scotch tape method.
• The method is scalable, cost-effective, and time-efficient, suitable for mass production and industrial settings.
• Simple procedure that does not require highly specialized equipment or extreme conditions.
• Enables fabrication of highly durable electrodes and contacts, reducing risk of device failure due to contact delamination.
• The process can be tuned for different types of metal oxides and for both conductive and non-conductive applications.
• Compatible with electrochemical deposition of various metals (e.g., Ni, Au, Ag, Cu, Sn), broadening its industrial applicability.

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Patent Abstract

The invention relates to a method by means of which surfaces of metal oxides that can be chemically reduced are reduced such that a subsequently applied metal film has increased adhesion. The method according to the invention comprises at least one first step (step a.) of dipping a specimen that has a surface of a metal oxide into an electrolyte solution, which comprises an electron transfer agent and optionally a wetting agent. Subsequently, in step b., a reducing agent is added and the surface of the metal oxide is reduced. The reduction is terminated by removing the specimen from the solution and eliminating residues of the solution on the surface, in step c. The present invention also relates to a metal oxide, the surface of which has been treated by the method according to the invention and which has a reduced surface having at least intermetallic phases, the adhesion of a metal layer applied to the reduced surface being improved in such a way that said metal layer cannot be removed by tearing off adhesive tape films applied to said metal layer – "Scotch tape method" – and cannot be wiped from the surface by means of a cleaning cloth.